After three weeks in session, nearly nine hours of committee testimony, and thousands of contacts from constituents, members of the Indiana House of Representatives today are poised to debate and vote on HJR3 and H1135 – the joint resolution that would send a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage to Indiana voters in November, 2014. The Freedom Indiana team, including HRC Regional Field Organizer Lindsey Clark are at the Statehouse in force, prepared to show legislators how Hoosiers really feel about this anti-freedom amendment.

The resolution was first present to the Indiana Assembly in 2004 and was passed for the first time in 2011. It must pass, with the exact same language, before March 15 of this year or the earliest it would see the ballot is November 2016. Since 2011, many legislators have changed their mind about sending the amendment to the voters and are prepared this time to vote NO. The second sentence, banning anything “substantially similar” to marriage seems to be the concern for many of them. Although the new companion bill, H1135, was introduced two weeks ago to purportedly address those concerns, many are not convinced.

Today’s potential debate and possible vote will be live streamed. Session is called to order at 1:30pm and the debate and vote may occur at any point after that.